p. 3 | In like Manner by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 19, 1902

In like Manner

By Editor

Editorial

In like Manner

While Jesus was in the very act of blessing his disciples, “he was parted from them, and carried up into heaven.” “And a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven.” Both the fact that Jesus will come again and the manner of his coming are here declared. “This same Jesus . . . shall . . . come.” And the manner of his coming will be like the manner of his going. He “shall so come in like manner.” A cloud received him when he went away, and at his second coming “they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven.” No silent, secret coming will fulfill the promise of the men “in white apparel.” “For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.” The prophecies concerning both the time and the manner of Christ’s second coming are so explicit that no one need be in a state of uncertainty concerning this greatest of all events. When he comes, the faithful ones will say, “We have waited for him.” To such waiting ones his coming will not be a surprise.

Fellowship with God

The purpose of the gospel is to restore that fellowship with God which was interrupted by sin. “Your iniquities have separated between you and your God.” “At that time ye were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world: but now in Christ Jesus ye who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of Christ.” Christ’s life manifested in the flesh is the bond of union which unites us again with him and his Father. “For the life was manifested, and we have seen it, and bear witness, and show unto you that eternal life, which was with the Father, and was manifested unto us; that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ.” Since “God is light,” those who claim fellowship with him should walk in the light. “If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth.” Walking in the light is the experience of that fellowship which means cleansing from sin. “If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood [life] of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.” All that the Lord is, and all that he has, he wishes to share with us, but the essential basis of this communion is that we shall share with him in his character. He desires to have all things in common with us, but we must be willing to have all things in common with him. What a blessed privilege is this! To such a partnership we are all invited.

The Power of the Cross

The cross means a crucified Christ. The power of the cross is the power to lay down life and to take it again. The resurrection appeals more strongly to our senses as being the greater display of the divine power, but this is only our human estimate based upon outward appearances. In the divine estimate it was all in the one display of the power of a Saviour’s love, who gave himself for us. “The preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.” “We preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumbling-block, and unto the Greeks foolishness; but unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God.” The power of the cross conquers the devil. “That through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil.” The power of the cross gives victory over death and the grave. “I am the first and the last, and the Living One; and I became dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and of hades.” The power of the cross brings the reconciliation between man and God. “That he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby.” The power of the cross is a safe thing in which to make our boast. “God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, whereby the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” The power of the cross is the power of the indwelling Christ. “I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.” Without the power of the cross there is no hope for us in the fight with sin; but with it there is every ground of confidence of complete victory.

“Down at the cross, where my Saviour died, Down where for cleansing from sin, I cried, There to my heart was the blood applied; Glory to his name.”

Heavenly Things First

The true believer has been delivered from the power of darkness, and translated into the kingdom of God’s dear Son. While he is still in the world, he is not of the world. He has set his affections on things above. The evidence to the unbelievers that this is a real experience is found in the attitude which the Christian takes toward the things of this world. The men of the world, “whose end is destruction, whose god is their belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who mind earthly things,” naturally devote their energies to acquiring as much of this world as possible. Having no resources or possessions in God, refusing the gift of all things in Christ, and so not believing that all things are theirs, the men of the world use time and strength and ability in the effort to acquire by their own work as much as possible of what they have refused to accept as a gift. The Christian learns to look at things in their true relation, and to estimate righteousness, the perfection of character, as of more value than mere material possessions. He has accepted as his guide to eternal prosperity the words of the Master: “Be not therefore anxious, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? For

after all these things do the Gentiles seek; for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first his kingdom, and his righteousness; all these things shall be added unto you.” The Christian is to seek the necessaries of life, not as things material, which are in themselves to be the objects of his seeking, but as the secondary and incidental blessings which constitute a part of the unspeakable gift. The earth, restored and renewed, will be gained by seeking first the heavenly possessions: heaven and earth will both be lost by seeking first the earthly possessions. This will be demonstrated in this generation. Are you a Christian? Have you given up all things in order to receive all things? Bear your testimony to the world.